Long-time community partner, St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, invited St. Mary Secondary School students to participate in a required Mock Evacuation ‘Code Green’ conducted by its Emergency Preparedness Committee.

St. Mary responded to the call with 73 Grade 10 Careers and Civics and Grade 11 Health Care students who participated in the morning event. Upon arrival, students were divided into groups by the Villa staff and sent to stations or Resident Home Areas where they played out the role of a residents (some in wheelchairs) in this given situation. Students were evacuated to the Auditorium on the main floor where City Emergency Response Teams and other representatives observed and gave feedback to Villa staff on the evacuation procedures.

Besides understanding the value of volunteering as a community service, the St. Mary students experienced required safety and management protocol in a health care setting. They were introduced to various health care careers and interacted with a variety of health care professionals at the Villa and from the community.

Most importantly, they socialized with the residents and shared a snack at the end of the event.

Students were asked to reflect on their experience:

“I enjoyed it because I was able to make other people’s lives easier. I found the experience to be valuable because some of the residents may not have many people who visit them, and I enjoyed socializing with them. It allowed me to take the time to appreciate the relationships I have and how lucky I am to have people to talk to. I learned more about the community I live in by working with them, and the demographics of who lives in it.”

“My experience during the Villa Mock Evacuation was truly wonderful. I have never been in a seniors home and I did not know what to expect. Everyone was kind to each other and everyone in the Villa was working together for the residents. The residents I met were friendly and I never knew how important it was to communicate with them.”

“I was on the Rec team and stayed behind and talked to the residents as they came down to the auditorium. I met many new people, and talked to lots of interesting residents who had life advice for me. I met staff members and was introduced to the Villa. It felt great to be a part of this and to help out. I’m happy I participated in it.”

With a little help of divine intervention, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board is getting creative in order to increase their graduation rate.
To help students be successful in high school, the board is focusing on the Grade 9 transition year by working to ensure they pass all of their courses. If they don’t, students are offered various strategies to get them back on track.
“They have opportunities to either repeat a course in summer school or to do what we call a credit recovery so that those students do not leg behind their peer group, that’s — that’s very important,” said Pathways student success consultant Colleen McPhee.

She explained that the schools also put a high focus on attendance and see a correlation between good attendance and graduating in four or five years. If attendance is poor, social workers get involved and along with student success teachers, work to get students back on track.
“We see a large number of students pursuing an academic path and the more students who do pursue that path, that definitely contributes to an increased graduation rate,” she said.
The preliminary graduation rate data at the Catholic board for the 2013-14 cohort that is set to graduate this year is showing a two per cent decline in the four-year graduation rate compared to last year’s 86 per cent.
“With respect to the students who start and remain with us, our graduation rate went up actually three per cent," said McPhee referring to the four-year graduation rate of the 2012-13 group.
The previous 2011-12 cohort had a graduation rate of 83 per cent of students completing high school in four years. Of the students in the 2012-13 group, 90 per cent graduated after the five year track last June.

“We have really a very focused effort on our students who we know because of the course choices that they make maybe more at risk and there has been a real focus on that in the last few years,” she said.
According to the report presented earlier this year at the board's religion, family life and instructional services committee, the course the board said played a direct role in the decrease of the four-year graduation rate was Grade 9 Applied English.

“It’s important that all schools offer the same kinds of opportunities.” — Colleen McPhee

St. Mary graduate Jonathan Bednarski finds success in team work and robotics

The only way to succeed is together

A new ArcelorMittal’s campaign called "The World is What You Make It," features the stories of six individuals who are helping contribute to a more sustainable world.

Featured is recent St. Mary graduate Jonathan Bednarksi, who explains how his experience in STEM and robotics has changed the way he views success while bringing his classroom teachings to life.

“Robotics has taught me this completely different perspective where instead of individuals having to build themselves up in a community it’s more of individuals coming together to form groups and those groups work together to build up the community as a whole.”

Next class is September 4, 2018 - June 26, 2019. We are currently accepting registrations.

This program enables students to earn a Personal Support Worker Certificate, accredited through the Province of Ontario, with the Ontario Community Support Association. Students will acquire the skills and knowledge to work as a personal support worker and gain practical experiences working in a health care environment.

There are also 6 secondary school credits attached to this course.

The program is 10 months (September to June) in duration and runs every Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.

Mandate:

The St. Charles PSW program is fully accredited with the Province of Ontario and provides students with the theory and knowledge that is required to understand all aspects of their role as a Personal Support Worker. Student learning is reinforced and enhanced by applying theory to practice while assigned to both their clinical and community cooperative education assignments. All students are supported so that all learning expectations are met with success and confidence with the goal of becoming effective Personal Support Workers in our community.

Specifically, we provide:

• educational training programs that reflect individual workplaces and the needs of our community
• innovative programs that will contribute to local, regional and global collaboration
• quality skills development programs that reflect the changing needs of the community with focus on restorative care
• professional development opportunities for communities and organizations
• career and transition assistance to assist individuals in meeting their employment and career goals
• qualified to work in community settings, private homes, long term care (LTC)
• potential branches to CDA, OTA, PTA, DSW, SSW and other healthcare careers

Summer co-op program gives students opportunity to “test-drive” careers

From July 3 to August 10, approximately 110 secondary students across the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board developed real-world experiences as they explored various career paths through the summer co-op program.

Much like co-op placements during the school year (which run for an entire semester), summer co-ops also offer students two credits towards their compulsory high school graduation requirements, but within a condensed 6-week time frame.

Over the years, the program has grown as students who might not be able to easily accommodate a co-op during the traditional school year can still have an opportunity to “test-drive” a career option in the summer by applying their classroom learning in the workforce.

"During their co-op placement students are collaborative contributors who apply skills for employability, self-employment and entrepreneurship relative to Christian vocation," said OYAP Coordinator Pat Piro.

“Majority of students in co-op are enrolled in the Specialist High Skills Major program,” said Specialist High Skills Major Counsellor Nancy Castura.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector while meeting the requirements to graduate from secondary school.

Each SHSM is a bundle of 8 to 10 courses within a selected field/sector completed in grades 11 and 12. Students choosing a SHSM program learn on the job with employers as well as in school, earning valuable industry certification and training related to their chosen sector.

For Grade 12 student Arjun Sidhu, a dentistry co-op at Estrabillo Dental Group in Ancaster gave him the chance to step out of the dentist chair and gain hands-on experience related to the profession.

During his placement, Sidhu was introduced to different equipment and procedures common in a dentist office as he was able to observe the team work on a number of patients.

“One thing I learned on the clinical side was impressions,” he said. “This is where the dentist takes a putty-like substance and smears it on a plate which the patient bites down on and an impression is formed from the bite marks.”

When he wasn’t observing, Sidhu was tasked with administrative duties, including filing and getting patients' information in order before their appointment.

“Personally, I see myself being back on the clinical side but working the administrative side gave me a deeper appreciation and understanding of what goes on behind-the-scenes and how important it is that you’re organized so the dentist can do his job properly and efficiently.”

With a family history in health care, Sidhu hopes to carry on the tradition, but with a technological focus.

“I’m on the robotics team at St. Mary,” he said. “I like engineering and figuring out problems using technology. I hope to bring those skills one day in dentistry.”

Welcome to the St. Mary Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program

Overview

Specialist High Skills Majors let students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students receive the SHSM's seal on their diploma when they

- complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student's selected field
- earn valuable industry certifications including first aid and CPR qualifications
- gain important skills on the job with employers

Who are they for?

Grade 11 and 12 students who are:

- heading for an apprenticeship, training, college, university or the workplace.
- wanting to identify, explore and refine their career goals and make informed choices about their next steps after secondary school.

How can they help?

Students have the opportunity to:

- Gain important skills on the job with actual employers, at skills training centres and at school
- Earn valuable industry certifications, including first aid and CPR qualifications.

This is Jaiya Morphet, SHSM Health and Wellness Summer Co-Op Student and Recipient of a Hamilton Health Sciences 2017 High School Health Research Bursary Award

St. Mary SHSM students earn Red Seal certification

Potential Red Seal graduates of the St. Mary Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program were recognized at the February 15th Board-wide Specialist High Skills Major Acknowledgement Day.

St. Mary offers six different sectors of the Ministry of Education Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program: Business; Construction; Energy (Sub-sector: Robotics); Health and Wellness ( Sub-sectors: Health Care, Fitness and Early Childhood and Youth Studies); Non Profit and Community Development; and Transportation.

All secondary school graduates earn the same Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), however, students who successfully complete every component of the SHSM earn the Red Seal Designation which is added to their diploma to recognize this accomplishment. Successful completion of the SHSM requirements is also indicated on the student’s official transcript (i.e. the Ontario Student Transcript). In this way, a record of their success and program concentration is accessible to post-secondary institutions, employers and training organizations.

SHSM students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests as they complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in their selected sector. The program also enables them to earn valuable industry certifications including First Aid and CPR C qualifications, while gaining important skills on the job with employers through co-operative education and experiential learning opportunities.

Through the SHSM Program, grade 11 and 12 students heading for apprenticeship training, the workplace, college or university pathways and wanting to identify, explore and refine their career goals, can make informed choices about their next steps after secondary school.

The St. Mary SHSM program has hosted six sectors over the past eleven years. Every year, the graduation rate has risen and each sector has been well represented. Students in all pathways have successfully achieved all of the Ministry of Education mandated requirements. Congratulations to our 2018 Red Seal Designated graduates, the largest SHSM graduating class in the school's SHSM program history.

A Hamilton teen born with a partial left hand is using her co-op placement to help other people with disabilities. The St. Mary’s high school student isn’t just checking off her graduation requirements, she’s inspiring others along the way.

CHCH’s Tegan Versolatto visited Abby Cappanelli, SHSM Health and Wellness sector student, at the Prosthetics & Orthotics Department at Hamilton Health Sciences where she’s been helping make prosthetics like the one she’s worn all her life. The co-op placement is part of the Grade 12 Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program in Health & Wellness.

Reach ahead activities, such as these, are an integral part of the SHSM program.

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St Mary Catholic Secondary School offers the Ministry of Education Specialist High Skills Major Program in 6 sectors:
Business
Construction
Energy (Sub-sector: Robotics)
Health and Wellness ( Sub-sectors: Health Care, Fitness and Early Childhood and Youth Studies)
Non Profit and Community Development
Transportation

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Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Program Overview:

1. What is a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)?

The SHSM is a way of recognizing outstanding programming and student success. An SHSM (Red Seal) designation on a diploma tells everyone that the student has focused his/her high school experience on a career path that matches his/her skills and interests. Specifically, the student has focused his/her educational program in a particular economic sector and successfully completed all key program components – at the same time he/she has met all the graduation requirements.

2. What are the components of an SHSM?

Bundle of Credits
Successfully complete 8-10 Grade 11-12 courses in the SHSM pathway, including “coop” education. Students will complete an assignment that connects various subject areas to the sector.

Experiential Learning
Participate in activities that provide opportunities to explore and reflect on a variety of sector-specific experiences and careers (e.g. guest speakers, job shadow, interviews)

“Reach Ahead” Experience(s)
Participate in activities that allow students to explore and experience post-secondary destinations within the sector (e.g. field trips).

3. In which sectors can a student earn an SHSM?

Schools can apply to the Ministry of Education to offer SHSMs in a variety of sectors. Our school offers Business, Construction, Energy, Health and Wellness, Non-Profit and Community Development and Transportation. Schools must receive approval from the Ministry of Education before they can offer an SHSM.

4. Are SHSM programs open to every student?

SHSM programs are open to all students in Grade 11 and 12 and is designed to meet the needs of students who want to pursue post secondary education, training or employment in specific sectors. To ensure that there is a good match for the student, he/she must attend an information session before being registered in a program.

5. What are the benefits to students?

Students in an SHSM program are involved in courses and experiences that match and develop their skills and interests. They are “engaged” and motivated to succeed because they can easily connect their present-day learning to their post secondary and career goals. Participants have many opportunities to:
• explore, identify and refine education and career goals;
• develop sector-specific knowledge and understandings;
• earn industry-recognized certifications;
• make real-life industry connections (i.e. for future employment or mentoring).

6. Do students and their families have to pay anything to take part?

The administrative costs at the Board level attached to the delivery a SHSM program include: the cost of transportation to conduct industry tours,’ the cost of supply teachers when classroom teachers are away with SHSM students; the cost of developing resources and marketing materials; the cost of coordinating the program, and the cost of delivering industry-recognized certifications.

7. If a student takes part in an SHSM, is he/she “locked in” until the end of high school?

Goals can change and students can make new choices as they develop new interests. As a results, all SHSM programs are designed with the flexibility to allow students to shift between pathways or to discontinue the SHSM should their career plans change – without a negative impact on their prospects for graduation.

8. Won’t students have a hard time fitting all the “bundled” courses into their timetable in Grades 11 and 12, especially cooperative education?

With proper planning, students can fulfill all graduation requirements, successfully complete every SHSM component, and make sure they meet the entrance requirements for their desired post secondary destination, including college and university. The key is to take control and plan effectively. Students who wish to pursue university studies after high school are encouraged to complete their cooperative education credits in Grade 11 to confirm career interests and in order to allow room in their timetables in Grade 12 for credits needed to meet university entrance requirements. Others may take “co-op” in summer school or night school. Finally, the secondary school program is organized to enable students to complete their high school program in four years, but students can take 4.5 or 5 years to do so. A significant number of students do so for a variety of reasons.

9. Do students who complete an SHSM earn the same diploma as all the other graduates from the school?

All high school graduates earn the same Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). However, students who successfully complete every component of the SHSM have a Red seal added to their diploma to recognize this accomplishment. Successful completion of the SHSM is also indicated on the student’s official transcript (i.e. the Ontario Student Transcript). In this way, a record of their success and program concentration is accessible to post secondary institutions, employers, and training organization.

Please click on the links below for the St Mary SHSM Sector Credit Charts, Parent Guide or Student Letter of Intent to complete and submit in order to enroll in the SHSM Program: